9.09.2014

Mari's third birthday was my favorite summer day - as it has become annually - and after celebrating with pizza and park friends, we invited over her three besties for a play date at our house, with all of her favorite things. And, at the top of Mari's favorites list is ice cream. So, we went with it.

Here are some photos from her big day back in July, and later this week, I'll list out sources, so come back and visit if you're interested.Lunch trays filled with the birthday girl's picks: heart-shaped turkey and cheddar cheese sandwiches; carrots and ranch dip; pirate's booty; watermelon balls.

9.04.2014

I'd like to say I took a long vacation from blogging to actually go on vacation, but we just plugged our summer right along, blinked, and now it's September. I'm happy to say we enjoyed all things beach; shell collecting, kite flying, biking, picnic'ing, sand eating (in Jenna's case) and lots of time with family and good friends. Summer was good to us, but just like that, Mari started pre-school yesterday (!) and we're off and running.

I know I'm a little late to the party with popsicles. It could be cold where you are. But, if you're like us, you know that this is the best time of year at the beach: late summer, and so you're probably still pining for ice cream, gelato, popsicles and/or all of the above. Or maybe that's just our household.

- For the peaches, we subbed an entire fresh pineapple, cut into chunks.
- Whirled fruit in a blender with simple syrup and a few splashes of vanilla extract (the beans are worth it, if you have them) and then strained into a bowl.
- Then whisked in fat free Greek yogurt and non-fat milk and a generous handful of shredded coconut.

Depending on the sweetness of your pineapple, you might go light on the simple syrup like I did. These babies are so sweet, but oh-so-good when tamed with the cream from the yogurt and milk.

By the way, more ice cream is coming next week! Remember Mari's third birthday party back in July? I finally have a post ready to share with you! More to come.

I'm Alison and I’m a blog-reader-turned writer. I love details, décor, fresh flowers, paper and the color white. I'm a publicist in the events industry, sharing adventures in cooking, entertaining and life in our tiny beach house in Southern California.